From the opening of "In The Halls of Odin", it was apparent Long Winter's Stare is THE band on the Dark Symphonies label. If you enjoy Tony Wakeford/Sol Invictus & Current 93 instead of slick acts like Theatre of Tragedy, this is very much recommended.

Unique sounding. With so many bands playing in this death/doom metal style with classical, that's important.

Clint Listing's guitar and vocals are deep and ominous, backing up the bewitching singing of Deirdre Faith. Her singing, along with the synths and clean vocals of drummer Greg Ball have a hypnotic effect, like hearing Paradise Lost's "Gothic" or Bathory's "Twilight of the Gods" when they were released, or listening to author Edred Thorsson recite the Runes.

Guest vocals by Lord Imperial of KRIEG. While this hybrid of classical/piano/metal/(opera?) is a bastardization, Long Winter's Stare do it right. I read their influences are: Arcturus (La Masquerade period), Borknagar, Yearning, In The Woods, Puissance, Dead Can Dance, Sanctum, and Ulver.

Their releases previous to acquiring singer Deirdre Faith are:
1996 Demo (under the moniker Manthing)
1997 debut mCD "Cold Tale Eternal" (Pantheon Records)
1999 CD "Before the Dawn, So Go the Shadows of Humanity"

1. 3:17 In the Hall of Odin
2. 8:27 Blood of Steel
3. 10:04 Blood of my Fathers
4. 4:01 Neolyth
5. 7:27 In Arms
6. 9:30 The Last Call
7. 19:30 The Unknown God

© 2001 mlotek